On Friday, May 3, 2024, the Toledo Bar Association (TBA) hosted area students to celebrate Law Day at the TBA in downtown Toledo. Earlier this year, area students were invited to participate in an essay writing contest focused on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2024 Law Day theme, "Voices of Democracy.” The winner of each division is awarded a cash prize by the Toledo Bar Association Foundation (TBAF) and published below. The nine winners and their teachers are listed below:
Division I: Grades 11 & 12
1st Place: Samantha Budas
Sylvania Southview High School, Teacher: Brad Oatman
2nd Place Hannah Mock
Northwest Ohio Classical Academy, Teacher: Geoff Kujawa
3rd Place Kate Harkey
Notre Dame Academy, Teacher: Casey Feldstein
Division II: Grades 9 & 10
1st Place: Sol Bosio
Sylvania Northview High School, Teacher: Kylie Little
2nd Place Alexander Ban
Perrysburg High School, Teacher: Hua Liu
3rd Place Ken Liu
Chinese School, Teacher: Hua Liu
Division III: Grades 7 & 8
1st Place Kevin Reams
West Side Montessori School, Teacher: Whitney Hardin
2nd Place Angelica Willow Teets
West Side Montessori School, Teacher: Whitney Hardin
3rd Place Joel Bersee
Northwest Ohio Classical Academy, Teacher: Geoff Kujawa
Pictured left to right: Samantha Budas, Hannah Mock, Sol Bosio, Kevin Reams, Angelica Willow Teets, Joel Bersee, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, and Cindy M. Kirby, Esq.
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Each essay was judged based upon format, clarity, style, reasoning, creativity, and overall effort. For the first round, essays were reviewed by volunteer attorneys Anne Brossia, Valerie Fatica, Twila Ferguson , Jim Hoppenjans, Bill Maloney, Allma Miller, Florence Murray, Zahraa Nasser, Emily Samlow , Jeffrey Simpson, Ben Syroka, Ashley Weis, and Lucinda Weller. The top essays were then submitted to a judge’s panel for final review to Hon. Myron C. Duhart, Hon. Christine E. Mayle, and Hon. Gene A. Zmuda.
Cindy M. Kirby, Assistant Dean for Student at the University of Toledo College of Law and President of the TBA presented the students with awards on Friday, May 3, 2024 at the TBA’s 2024 Caty Armstrong Memorial Law Day Essay Contest Luncheon. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz delivered the Law Day Address after the awards presentation.
Introduction to the Essay Theme:
The 2024 Law Day theme “Voices of Democracy” recognizes that in democracies, the people rule. For nearly 250 years, Americans have expressed their political views and wishes by speaking their minds and voting in elections. In 2024, the United States will hold its 60th presidential election, and Americans will address fundamental questions about democracy and the rule of law.
The Voices of Democracy Law Day theme encourages Americans to participate in the 2024 elections by deepening their understanding of the electoral process; discussing issues in honest and civil ways; turning out to vote; and, finally, helping to move the country forward after free and fair elections. In this way, Americans ensure that our government remains responsive to the wishes of the people. We invite all Americans to join us on May 1, 2024, to celebrate Law Day by lifting their voices to strengthen our democracy.
Essay Question:
Your ideas could help make our democracy better. Propose ideas that can help to level the playing field, promote fairness, and ensure that every voice is heard, respected, and counted.
Division I: 11th & 12th Grades, 1st Place
Carpe Diem! Seize the Day to Inspire Tomorrow
by Samantha Budas, Sylvania Southview High School; Teacher: Brad Oatman
Our country is one not only controlled and influenced by prominent figures in power such as the President of the United States or the Supreme Court Justices but by the voices of civilians across the country. When you take a deeper look at these influencing voices; however, the diversity of them is greatly unbalanced and has, in some cases, forced many to refrain from participating in elections and hence leave their voices unheard.
The solution to this disparity is not to just push more people to vote through legalizing voter registration incentives or diversifying the methods in which Americans can vote in elections. It is instead to give the American people a reason to vote. This can be a cause to vote for or a person who is representative of a group of voters and their experiences or hardships or successes. The solution to leveling the playing field is to diversify the candidates and make room for diverse voices. This can be accomplished through leadership programs that are not only intended to target more diverse or minority communities but anyone who wants to use their voice for the better to make a difference. To inspire and inform future generations is the most beneficial way to accomplish change. The younger generations can bring about the change that is necessary to ensure that every voice is heard only by making sure that those joining the government understand the power behind their voices.
The real question is, would programs like this truly have an impact on the voting population and balance? Just because future generations can run for President or take on similar leadership roles doesn't mean it will encourage more people to vote. This is easily disproven when comparing voter tum out between the 2004 and 2008 Presidential elections. When Barack Obama, the U.S. 's first African American president, ran in 2008, approximately 2 millions more African Americans voted compared to the previous election. During the 2008 election, African American voters went from making up 11 % of all voters to 12.1 % and this trend continued during the 2020 election (U.S. Census Bureau). Although the final two candidates were both white, African Americans made up 13% of all voters, proving that all it takes is for one candidate to bring a large group of people together to unite them under the idea of making a difference and those people will continue to work and inspire others to bring about change.
Statistics like this prove that what the United States needs to do to level the playing field is not establishing voter registration incentives or diversifying voting methods but by educating its citizens and establishing programs that will help to diversify the voting pool. This is because when people can see themselves or their experiences in a candidate, it makes them feel more seen alongside wanting to show their support and vote. Diversification is necessary for the United States because when new people come to the table, new ideas come as well.
Division II: 9th & 10th Grades, 1st Place
Nationalizing Patterns of Equality, Awareness, and Involvement
by Sol Bosio, Sylvania Northview High School; Teacher: Kylie Little
Currently, our nation elects presidential candidates through a bipartisan democracy which devalues voters and candidates outside these monopolizing and overemphasized political parties. Through the nationalization of redistricting commissions, we can promote equality and demote gerrymandering1 which occurs through the excess bias and political power of certain political
figures. By eliminating gerrymandering and ensuring the quality of our voting system through the lawful establishment of Congressional Districts the quality of our democracy would escalate greatly. Additionally, I suggest that guidelines regarding the presidential campaigning system are solidified to promote political transparency, incorruption, and depolarization within our voting
system.
I suggest that our nation first develop a criteria that draws the Congressional District lines in direct accordance with population, regional values, and opinions to better represent a population and eliminate gerrymandering. The criteria would include the amount of people in a set district and would consider which areas of a state are shaped similarly in political and moral values, keeping in mind income, urbanization, population, economic status, and family size. A citizen from each Congressional District, within a state, would be represented to draw the Congressional District lines thus nationalizing Independent Redistricting Commissions. Through these minor elections the representatives would further explain the task of redistricting, promote the foundational characteristics of democracy, and elaborate with a nonpartisan goal to educate the public about how political figures could contain bias and sabotage the equity, civility, and impartiality of future elections. This process of redrawing the Congressional District lines would 1 The arranging of specific territories for federal redistricting purposes in a way that gives a certain political party an
advantage within the election. The name comes from the politician Elbridge Gerry who created a Congressional District in the shape of a salamander to benefit his political party in the presidential election of I 812. be considered a necessity to promote fair representation that would be updated every 10 years as populations fluctuate, as per the United States Constitution.
Additionally, I suggest that we create a criteria of which the candidates of the presidential election must abide by to promote democracy and to encourage the promotion of knowledge and nationalism rather than sectarianism. The criteria would include that if a candidate publicizes denigrating or indecorous claims regarding themselves or other candidates the claim would be investigated and deemed truthful or false. The validation of the claim would be publicized, by the Federal Communications Commission, to promote truth and transparency while avoiding a conflict with the candidate's First Amendment rights. I also suggest that voting ballots for the presidential election would exclude the candidate's political party. A candidate would also be prohibited from publicizing their political party, rather they would promote their goals through the presidency for the betterment of our nation. Rather than being viewed as unconstitutional, prohibiting political party identities would be promoted as a connection to the origins of our country and would be instated as a necessary limit to prevent political discrimination. By minimizing the role of political parties within our democracy we can better coalign with the interests of our first President, George Washington', through a partisan democracy and choosing the morals and goals that we, as individuals, support thus encouraging many to learn about our political climate rather than merely voting with their apparent party despite knowledge of said party's intentions within office.
2 The United States Senate Historical Office wrote that, "Washington feared that they[Political parties] carried the seeds of the nation's destruction through petty factionalism." Washington ardently spoke about how political parties could destroy a prosperous country just as they are doing currently through political discrimination and sectarianism. Factionalism is the state of a government, system, or group of people being divided, in a destmctive manner, by groups of people with opposing views.
Division III: 7th & 8th Grades, 1st Place
Problems with Voting Rights and Our Democracy
by Kevin Reams, West Side Montessori School; Teacher: Whitney Hardin
Democracy has been part of the United States since the 1630s and ever since then it has evolved our freedom and rights. Democracy has had many different changes throughout history but it still isn't perfect. There are still flaws in democracy, especially in voting. Not everyone's voice in elections ls heard. Many of these voices include people who have committed a felony, people who live in U.S. territories, and homeless people. People's voices need to be heard during elections in order to better improve our democracy.
People who have committed a felony are just one of the many people whose voices can't be heard during elections. People who have committed a felony usually spend over a year In prison, that is, If they don't get sentenced to death. But during their sentence in some states they aren't allowed to vote, but in other states they can even not be allowed to vote for that sentence. Some states will even not let them vote for the rest of their lives. This isn't fair for these people, especially If they are wrongly convicted of the felony. This law should change in these states in order to be fair towards these people.
Another group of people who aren't allowed to vote in United States elections are people from U.S. territories. The U.S. territory citizens should be allowed to vote because, though they are not states, they follow rules from the United States. 'I1tls means that they should have some part in elections that could affect their homes and their lives. The citizens living in the United States territories should be able to vote but only for things that could affect what happens to them. Just because United States territories aren't American states doesn't mean they shouldn't vote on things that could be related to them.
A lot of homeless people, and others who have major financial Issues have problems when it comes to voting, The homeless and others with similar financial problems can give their shelter address to vote but some homeless people don't live in shelters. They would also have to buy an ID, and though they are cheap, people want to spend their money on essential things like food, water, and clothing. Some people also don't live dose to a polling station, and they need money for transportation which they probably can't afford. Homeless people and people with major financial problems should have better privileges when it comes to voting.
Our modern democracy makes it so not everyone's voices are heard during elections. There needs to be changes put Into places to better help these people vote. It's just straight up unfair that these people, who follow United States laws and rules, have a hard time in voting and some just can't vote at all. Homeless people, people who have committed a felony, and people who live in United States territories all need better rights when it comes to voting. Democracy needs a change in voting rights.
About Law Day
Law Day was established by President Eisenhower in 1958 to honor the law and is celebrated annually on or around May 1st by bar associations and the legal profession nationwide.
The essay contest for students has been an integral part of Law Day festivities for many years. This annual contest encourages youth to explore our legal system and the relationship between laws and our rights and freedoms. The Toledo Bar Association contest was named the Caty Armstrong Law Day Essay Contest after Caty’s tragic death in an automobile accident in 1993 just weeks after she was recognized as an essay contest winner.
The TBA’s Law Related School Education Committee’s mission is to develop and implement programs designed to assist all levels of our educational system in the education of students in our community about the legal system and the system of justice, including the organization of various Law Day activities and Mock Trial programs.
About the Toledo Bar Association
The Toledo Bar Association (TBA) is a voluntary professional association of lawyers in Lucas and surrounding counties. It was established in 1878 and has over 1,500 members. The mission of the TBA is to advance the highest standards of excellence for the legal profession, promote the rule of law, facilitate equal access to justice, and consciously foster a diverse and inclusive legal community, by providing unmatched collaborative opportunities, professional development and outstanding services to our members while also supporting the community at large.
